


Bored on the Fourth of You Lie

by MistyBeethoven



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Comedy, Fireworks, Fourth of July, Gen, Love Confessions, Separation Anxiety, Stars, Styx - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 09:46:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18826171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistyBeethoven/pseuds/MistyBeethoven
Summary: Morty wants to stay home to celebrate the Fourth of July and Rick is less than pleased. Also, Jerry has no luck with fireworks.





	Bored on the Fourth of You Lie

Rick sat on the couch, arms spread out on its back, watching as his grandson and son-in-law fumbled with two large boxes of fireworks.

"Rick, you do know you could help us out with that last box in the car right?" Jerry said, his voice straining from the weight of the box he was carrying.

Rick took a drink from the flask in his hand. "Already explained that problem to you a million times, Jerry; _could_ doesn't mean _will_."

Both Jerry and Morty dropped the boxes on the living room floor.

"Jeez, Dad, how much did you spend on this stuff?"

"You mean how much did my _daughter_ spend, Morty. Remember your Dad has no job _and_ no money," Rick Sanchez reminded the teenager.

Jerry frowned. "I'll have you know that those five weeks I spent at the carwash paid very well. I bought at least half of this stuff."

"And how much was that?" Rick asked his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Four hundred dollars"

Rick shook his head and exhaled loudly in disapproval.  "Why are we even celebrating this stupid fucking country when it's built on dead indigenous people and we have a lame ass President who won't even take a selfie with a fourteen year old boy?"

"Now it could be worse Rick. We could have a President who is racist, sexist, homophobic, has orange skin, sports a weird hair-do and wants to build a wall."

"You don't know the half of it," Rick said taking another sip.

Jerry surveyed the boxes. "I'll go get the last one. Then we can move them all to the backyard."

Morty watched his father leave the room and started rifling through the boxes on the floor. The boy was unaware of Rick's eyes glancing at him occasionally.

"Come on, Morty," Rick eventually broke the silence, leaning forward on the couch, trying to coerce his grandson. "Let's get away from this crap. I can take you to a reality where we didn't win and a group of Indians and the British celebrate kicking Ben Franklin's ass. Now _they_ really know how to _party_!"

"I don't think so Rick," Morty replied. "This is the first holiday since my parents got back together. I want to spend it here."

"But I've shown you so many strange and beautiful sights. What would possibly possess you to want to stare at things exploding in the air?" Rick's face lit up with an idea. "I can blow up a planet for you, Morty. How about Venus? We can listen to the Shocking Blue when I do it. Or Bananarama if you want. Wouldn't that be better?"

The brown-haired boy shook his head. "No Rick! Y-you're missing the point."

Rick leaned back against the couch. "And what point is that?"

Morty frowned. "That sometimes you just want to stay where you are. You know, just enjoy what you have and not almost get yourself killed just because a place is new and exciting."

Jerry walked into the living room halting the conversation between Morty and Rick.

Father and son each took a box and carried it outside. Rick remained staring at the final box. He momentarily thought about taking it out to the back but chose not to, hoping that Morty would be the one to return and he could try one last time to persuade the boy to go on an adventure with him instead of staying home and celebrating the fourth of July.

He was out of luck. Jerry entered the room minus his offspring. The man was in high spirits, making Rick all the more miserable.

"Cheer up Rick," Jerry tried to comfort his father-in-law. "Beth has the BBQ ready back there. A table is all set! There's even a radio blasting out some bodacious tunes!"

Rick sighed, not having the energy to even insult Jerry's choice of the word bodacious.

"It is going to be _beautiful_!" Jerry exclaimed in delight.

* * *

Two hours later the Smith family was crammed into the family car on their way to watch the city's firework show at Riverside Park.

" _How can you accidentally set four hundred dollars worth of firecrackers alight in broad daylight, Jerry?_ " Rick asked in total exasperation as he sat in the back seat, crammed between Morty and Summer.

" _Blame the radio station!_ " Jerry cried. "They played Babe by Styx. So I got the BBQ lighter out to wave around! I couldn't help myself! One caught fire and before I knew it they were all up there going off!"

"Why didn't you use a cellphone like everyone else?" Summer complained.

"Two words: _Taddy Mason_ ," Jerry explained. "Come to think of it the BBQ lighter is still in my pants pocket."

"Don't worry Dad. We'll make sure you have a glow stick for next time," Morty tried to reassure his father.

"It's fine," Beth said. "It will all be _fine_. The park always puts on a good show. I packed some sandwiches and a blanket and we should all be set."

"Like I don't have to sit with you guys do I?" Summer asked, her arms folded.

"You don't have to but it would be nice," Beth said.

"It would have been _nice_ if Jerry's mother had had a headache on the night he was conceived," Rick insulted.

"Dad, I can easily drop you off," Beth offered.

"Please do," Rick stated.

"At the retirement home coming up," Beth said.

Jerry smiled at his wife. "You _know_ it's _you_ babe."

"Just kill me," Summer said.

"I _can_ do that," Rick stated. "But I _won't_ because you have to suffer with the rest of us."

* * *

The park was crowded. People from all over the city had come to watch the annual fireworks display. Rick scowled at all of the people who seemed happy to be there. It was like a slaughterhouse on killing day; cattle all bunched together not knowing how short and horrendous their lives were.

Still, the rest of the family seemed to be enjoying themselves. Morty had bought a glow stick for his father as soon as they had arrived. Summer had seen a group of her friends and had been given reluctant permission to join them and Beth and Jerry were snuggling together on the blanket they had placed on the ground.

Rick was sitting next to Morty on the same blanket. The older man watched as a parade of ants tried to abscond with some of the food that had been laid out. Sanchez wondered why nobody else seemed bothered or aware of their presence as he squished several of them.

"Take that you motherfucking insects!" he screamed at them. "Morty, I don't know if you've noticed but we are being overtaken by ants here. I've got my portal gun, bro. Let me know if you change your mind."

The boy wasn't listening. He was too busy looking up at the night sky.

"They're beautiful, aren't they, Rick?" Morty asked, his legs outstretched on the picnic blanket beneath them.

Rick's arms were folded now, similar to how Summer's had been in the car. "What's beautiful? The ants or all the junky pieces of litter lying on the ground? I mean, when was the last time they cleaned this place?"

"No! I mean the stars Rick!"

"Oh those," Sanchez said. "I hadn't noticed."

Morty sighed. "Figures."

"And what the _*eUrRrrrppp*_ hell is that supposed to mean, M-morty?"

"I just mean, Rick, that maybe sometimes you see so much incredible stuff you just forget to stop and step back and see how truly wonderful that stuff really is."

"What? Di-di-did you go and detoxify yourself again, Morty? Cuz the shit that is coming out of your mouth is making me want to puke!"

Rick and Morty stopped their conversation as Jerry announced he was leaving to get a beer and a hot dog.

"You'll be _okay_ on your own?" Beth asked him. The concern in her voice was like a worried mother.

"I'm just going a few feet away," Jerry smiled. "What could possibly go wrong?"

Beth smiled doubtfully.

"No. I was just thinking," Morty resumed, turning to look at Rick, once his father had gone. "I used to love the stars a-a-and the planets and all that shit. But then when you came and started to show them to me, you know, up close...Well they just don't seem as special now."

"So you're blaming your old Grandpa because you don't wet your pants anymore at the sight of balls of gas?" Rick fumed.

"I just want to catch my breath, Rick. I just want them to still be special, all right, because I don't know how long you'll be here a-a-and...I want them to still be okay for me if you go."

Morty looked down and started playing with a blade of grass. Rick looked away and bit his lower lip.

"Why isn't _any_ of this special to you, Rick?" Morty asked. "Why don't you care?"

* * *

Jerry Smith was doing fine. Nothing bad had happened. In one hand he had a hot dog; in the other hand he held a red plastic cup of cold beer. Nestled in the crook of his arm was the glow stick his son had purchased for him. He was doing fine and he was almost back to where his family was waiting for him

He was innocently passing the firework display stand when it happened.

Some idiot had left the radio on.

" _You know it's you babe, whenever I get weary..._ "

"Oh no!" Jerry stopped, a bead of sweat appearing on his forehead.

" _and I've had enough..._ "

Jerry dropped his weiner and cup, fumbling for the glow stick.

" _feel like giving up..._ "

Jerry unwrapped the stick from its package.

" _Giving me the courage..._ "

Jerry took it in his hands and tried to bend it.

" _and the strength I need..._ "

It wouldn't break.

" _Please believe..._ "

He tried again.

It still wouldn't break.

And the song was nearing it's last verse...

" _That it's true..._ "

Jerry reached into his pocket for his BBQ lighter, and lighting it clumsily, watched helplessly as history repeated itself and it brushed against a firework.

" _Babe, I love you._ "

It lead to a domino effect.

Hundreds of fireworks launched in progression, setting the sky on fire and the air full of cacophony.

At least it was at night this time, Jerry told himself.

* * *

The park was ablaze in confusion. People looked simultaneously at their watches, not expecting the show to start so soon. Almost in unison, they turned their attention to the sky, afraid of missing any of the show being presented.

Beth and Morty looked up in awe as all of the park's fireworks exploded one after another in a beautiful array of colors against a pitch black sky.

They didn't seem to notice that Rick was the only one not looking; they failed to see him turn to Morty and start to shout, his words stolen by the deafening din.

" _YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE STUPID FUCKING STARS, MORTY? YOU WANNA KNOW WHY? IT'S BECAUSE NOT ONE OF THEM IS AS BEAUTIFUL AS YOU ARE TO ME, YOU LITTLE TURD! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT STARS OR QUASERS OR BLACK HOLES! I-I-I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THEM AND I'D RATHER BE LOOKING AT YOU THAN A BUNCH OF EXPLODING DYNAMITE IN THE FUCKING SKY! YOU ARE THE ONLY STRANGE AND BEAUTUFUL SIGHT THAT MATTERS TO ME ANYMORE AND IF YOU THINK I AM EVER LEAVING YOUR SORRY ASS YOU ARE FUCKING MISTAKEN! YOU ARE MY SUN; YOU ARE MY MOON; YOU ARE MY STARS AND MY UNIVERSE! I LOVE YOU, MORTY!_ "

The last firework exploded and died.

Morty turned to find his grandfather staring at him as silence claimed the park and Jerry made his sheepish way back to his family.

"The show's over kid," Rick said, his voice hoarse. "It's time to go home."

* * *

"You're awfully quiet," Beth commented as she looked at her husband in the passenger seat. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah!" Jerry answered a little too loudly. "I'm just still trying to figure out what happened to set all of those fireworks off ahead of schedule."

"Ummm...Jerry...where were you when they went off?" Beth asked eyeing the man suspiciously.

"In a Port A Potty. The hot dog didn't agree with me."

Beth knew he was lying but decided to give him a break. She nodded and smiled. It could have been worse; nobody had died and they weren't being sued.

Summer had decided to stay at her friend Janice's house. Rick and Morty sat alone and uncramped together in the back seat. The blue-haired man was staring out the window at the dark city streets as they drove home.

"So Rick...What were you saying to me?"

"What?" Rick asked.

"When all of those firecrackers went o-off. I thought you were yelling at me or something. It sounded like something about the stars."

Rick looked at Morty and gave a little half frown. He turned and looked out the window at the night sky. "Oh just that you were right about the stars; they are very beautiful."

This, as Sanchez had known, brought a smile to the boy's lips. Rick didn't look, however, fearing he would be blinded by it akin to staring at the sun for too long.


End file.
